WE’VE REACHED THE tenth episode of our sportswriting podcast, Behind the Lines.  

If you are unaware of what we do: each edition features a lengthy interview with one of the best sportswriters in the English language, and ask them to bring along some of their favourite pieces of sportswriting to discuss. 

To get access to our back catalogue along with this week’s episode, become a member of The42 for €5 per month – or just €42 for a full year – by following this link. 

This week’s guest is David Goldblatt, renowned author, academic and broadcaster whose work includes The Ball is Round, which is widely regarded as among the most authoritative books on football and its intersection with history, politics and society.  

This year he has published a follow-up called The Age of Football, and he speaks to us about what it is like to write a book of such heft and research. (Its endnotes occupy more pages than most of the books I’ve ever read.)  

We also talk of his fascinating encounters with some of football’s terrible men, which encompass an hours-long meeting with Victor Orban, and delivering a talk about Fifa during which Sepp Blatter literally fell asleep when talk turned to the organisation’s corruption.  

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There’s plenty more in here, and David has a particularly interesting take on the “sport is a metaphor for life” shtick that’s favoured by sportswriters.  

Enjoy the show, and if you have any feedback for us: email behindthelines@the42.ie or tweet @gcooney93.